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August 26, 2022 6:00 am
Old Testament is relevant to New Testament believers. In fact, old testament anticipates the New Testament with the Old Testament. You remember that predicted the new covenant Jeremiah with the house of his dear. Some people think the Old Testament has lost its relevant fact that you might think that about the Bible.
Overall today on connect with Skip Skip shares with Old Testament all of Scripture is as vital as ever for your like that before we begin to let you know about a recent that helps you see how God works powerfully all the circumstances of your life. Life is hard and then we die is a harsh but accurate philosophy with into this general encouragement. But, that's right, in the most difficult circumstances God can intervene as he did for Joseph to help answer the resurrection of Jesus here Skip I think the fact there may not be two more hopeful words than these two words but God because they point us to the great interrupter, the one who can powerfully and graciously interrupt our live with his plans and change our lives forever help you understand some of the Bible's most profound moment. You can have more hope for change in your life.*It's 10 message teaching theories that God our thanks $35 and more to help connect more people to the only one can radically change a life. But God CD collection to get online securely connectwithskip.com/offer or call 892 1888. Chapter 10 Skip to today's message so the big idea chapters 9 and 10 of first Corinthians. By now you know it so well.
It's the idea of liberty Christian liberty. What can I do as a Christian Bible is pretty clear you can do as believers. What we can't do as believers old and New Testament is pretty clear it's not ambiguous.
However, there are some activities that would be considered not black and white to gray areas are not clearly delineated. For some it might be what music they listen to. For others it might be. Can I smoke a cigar or cigarette brothers can have a drink or not, and for them. In those days it was can I eat meat that has been sacrificed at an idle temple and then sold in the common shambles. The meat market because for some people.
That was a huge no-no for others it was not a big deal was not a big deal because the dam they had full knowledge that there is only one true God, and that all the other gods and goddesses are fake.
It's all fake news. They don't exist. People made them up. And yet Paul says yeah but not so fast on that one. Even though you have knowledge, and even though you have liberty and by the way, we do have liberty, let's just establish that we are free in Christ, we are not under the law of Moses at all. We have freedom we have been set free from the law, and that we have a relationship that's dynamic with the with with God a relationship with the living God. But though that is true Christian liberty comes with Christian responsibility.
Liberty must be balanced out with responsibility responsibility to whom I'm glad you asked.
First of all to God. We want to glorify God and ask ourselves is this area that I am questioning. Does that glorify God. Second, does it edify other people. I guess there doesn't amplify the word and work in truth of God in my own life is a beneficial for me, so these are considerations that Paul is writing to the Corinthians about because to them. This eating meat sacrificed by silos was a big deal.
Not a big deal to us in America still a big deal today in India and Sri Lanka and lots of Asian countries where idolatry is rampant and there are still food sacrifices to idols.
So for Christians living in those countries. These chapters are very germane. Very pertinent very contemporary and relevant to us.
We emerge with a principal but in chapter 10. Paul wants to make this point and he made the point last time we saw this point he said, though you might have liberty. You have to be careful that you don't abuse the liberty that you have the example he uses for the abuse of liberty is none other than the children of Israel, they were liberated they were given liberty from what from bondage in Egypt slavery of physical slavery. They were in bondage to the Egyptians, God gave them liberty from the physical bondage of slavery. They abused their liberty once they were in the wilderness with idolatry with craving after things with not being happy with the provisions of God complaining at the provisions of God so they abuse their liberty as you and I likewise have been given spiritual liberty were not under the law of Moses we have freedom in Christ, freedom from our sins of freedom from the demands and dictates of of the religions of mankind, but we also can abuse our liberty.
So that's the idea behind the first few verses of chapter 10, to remind you… Read quickly through the moreover brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers Jewish forefathers were under the cloud, that's the Shekinah cloud in the Old Testament all past sued the sea, that is the Red Sea when it opened up your all baptizer immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea all ate the same spiritual food.
That's the manna all drank of the same spiritual drink before they drank of. That's spiritual Rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. All that was explained last week, but with most of them God was not well pleased for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also must we should not abuse our liberty like they abuse their liberty.
If you go down to verse 11, he picks up on that and says now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition or instruction on whom the ends of the ages have come that verse is very important verse, and it really's is stuck out to me as I was reading it again this week. All those things in the Old Testament that were written about were written for our instruction, our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come so the Old Testament is relevant to New Testament believers.
That's the general truth in that verse. The Old Testament is relevant to New Testament believers. In fact, the old testament anticipates the New Testament was the Old Testament. You remember that predicted a new covenant, God said I'm in a make a new covenant in Jeremiah with the house of Israel, not like the old covenant. So the old covenant anticipates the new orders Augustine used to love to say and I recorded it so many times, the new is in the old contained the old is in the new explained that as the New Testament is contained in part in the Old Testament anticipated by the Old Testament, predicted by the Old Testament.
It's contained in types and in figures and in prophecies that we get to the New Testament we see all the fulfillment of that in the Old Testament is explained by the New Testament so something is happening right now.
On the other side of the world, something that people just think lots of strange but those of us who are Bible believers were going. I know it's happening. It is the fact that 190,000 Russian troops are on the border of Ukraine about ready to enter in. In fact, reports are many of those have already made an incursion beyond the borderline and are in Ukraine so we know a few things about Russia. We know the Russia for example is run by Vladimir Putin, who has been in charge of that country since 2000.
So 22 years is not like an American presidency for years and maybe eight but therein for the long haul. Like a lot of world rulers are and so when they make political moves they don't play and play checkers like we do. They play chess they think strategic moves down the line. Depending on who's going to be in office in the future on the world scene.
They got that figured out so Russia with Vladimir Putin to very wealthy country. It's a country that is a huge military machine nuclear capabilities world influence allies on its side and it has a plan with Navy nations around it. So for example, in the 08 and 2008 a Russia invaded the Republic of Georgia, not the state of Georgia. The Republic of Georgia.
On the other side of the world. I was in that country and explain to me how that invasion. That incursion took place. That was 2008 in 2014. The Russians also invaded Ukraine so that they could annex Crimea. The following year in 2015 so they have in the past, this tendency to want to take land that used to be part of the old Soviet bloc always been Putin's idea to rebuild the ancient Czar Soviet Republic, the Soviet Union, I like it used to be and get more land.
It's always been in his sights.
The question is with Crimea with Georgia with Ukraine is that it or is it just the beginning will that's where it gets interesting because Vladimir Putin and Russia have had an interesting relationship with Iran for a number of years now. How so well.
It was Russia that helped build the very first nuclear facility in Iran giving billions of dollars to this day. Every year a couple billion dollars worth of arms are are sold to a ran every year from the Soviet Union from Russia right now in Iran. A thousand Russian scientists are working on that nuclear capability in Syria. We know that Russia has interest in the Middle East because they have a port in Syria in front remember the name of this town, but it's in the northern part of that town there is a Russian seaport and it's a permanent seaport huge naval base for their naval operations so we know that they have an interest in the Middle East, they have a footprint in Syria.
They have funded Iran. Iran is the largest state sponsored exporter of terrorism on planet Earth. Iran has said they want to destroy Israel and they want to destroy the United States. But there's another party that's interesting, and that is present in one in Turkey Turkey was let me go back a little bit in history for 600 years. The Turks ruled the world, the Ottoman Empire ruled the world. In fact, at its zenith, the Ottoman Empire controlled 1,000,000 mi.˛ on three different continents, the Ottoman Empire came to an end in the mid-1900s. Because of West put into it established the state of Israel territory of Georgia credit card out the Middle East to what they thought were amicable solutions trick is never forgotten that at one time Turkey was a moderate country and a place where it's a beautiful country. By the way, I've been there a couple different times.
It's gorgeous, but it was moderate politically but no one has definitely moved it toward a radical Islamic state. He leans in that direction.
What makes it interesting is that there is this political alliance between Russia, Iran, that fun stuff going on in Syria and Lebanon, and Turkey. Now all of that is interesting because of a prophecy in the book of Ezekiel.
Remember what he said here all these things were written beforehand for our instruction, our admonition, upon whom the ends of the earth have come or ends of the age of come in Ezekiel and now I'm turning to the prophet Ezekiel, you can either turn there or not. Or just keep in mind this profit by the way, 27% of the Bible is prophetic is about 1/3 right 27%, almost 1/3 of the entire Bible is predicting the future God through the prophets predicting the future.
About half of those predictions are past tense have already been fulfilled about another half were waiting for them to be fulfilled, but because half of been fulfilled pretty good indication the rest are to be fulfilled specially when you look at the detail so in Ezekiel 36 and 37. It talks about the rise of Israel. Keep in mind, Israel has been kicked out of its land went into captivity. God promised they would come back, but in chapter 36 me just give you a quick rundown verse eight it says, but you will mountains of Israel. You shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to my people Israel. Or they are about to come. For indeed I am for you and I will turn to you and you shall be filled and sown. I will multiply men upon you all the house of Israel all of it all. The city shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt that presupposes a destruction of sorts, it presupposes a return into the land to rebuild it. I will multiply upon you, man and beast.
They shall increase in very young. I will make you inhabited, as in former times and do better for you then at your beginnings, then you shall know that I am the Lord. Yes, I will cause men to walk on you. My people Israel. They shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance no more so you bereave them of their children. So God promises a restoration, a repopulation, even a spiritual restoration at the end of the chapter, but in chapter 37 we have a an image a picture of that principle. The principle is given in chapter 36 or the promise is given of Israel coming back in the land strengthened repopulating it on inhabiting it growing stronger, producing fruit, etc. chapter 37 is a prophetic image of that verse one the hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the midst of the valley and it was full of bones and he caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley. Indeed, they were very dry and he said to meet Son of Man can these bones live so I answered the Lord God, you know good way to answer God when yes you question you're not sure is the right answer right Lord you know all things what is again he said to me, prophesied of these bones and say to them all dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones.
Surely I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. Most of your familiar with his vision of the dry bones keep what he sees in the vision is the bones coming back to life. The sin use the muscles. The flash grows into a strong army verse 11 chapter 37 they said to be Son of Man. These bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, our bones are dry. Our hope is lost and we ourselves are cut off.
When would Israel have ever said that. Well, it would've said that in the Babylonian captivity. They would've said that previously in the Assyrian captivity, they would've said that at the fall of Jerusalem and the incursion of the Romans in the destruction of the Temple and the banishment of Jews from the land during 70 A.D. they would've said that in World War II, and 6 million were slaughtered in the Evans of Nazi Germany were a lot of times that they could say were done were kaput. It's over. Therefore prophesy and say to them, thus says the Lord God, behold, oh my people. I will open your graves, and cause you to come up from your graves and bring you into the land of Israel. I'm in a bring you as it were back from the data to resurrect you as a nation will be strong again in the land that I gave your forefathers great.
We got the promise.
We got the picture we keep moving on in Ezekiel you set your teaching first Corinthians. I'll get there a short chapter so I get there. We covered half of it already. Chapter 38 of Ezekiel, we come to a challenge and this is where it gets interesting and contemporary now verse one the word of the Lord came to me saying Son of Man, set your face against Gog, of the land. Magog, the Prince of Roche me shack and tubal, and prophesy against him and say, thus says the Lord God, behold, I am against you, O God, the Prince of Roche me shack and tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks in your jaws lead you out with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords. Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya are with them.
All of them with shield and helmet Gomer and all its troops the house of to garment far from the two garment from the far north and all its troops. Many people are with you, prepare yourselves, be ready. You and all your company. Companies that are gathered about you and be a guard for them. The chapter, chapter 38 describes a coalition of armies that gathered together at some point it's never happened before in history. Given given the names and will come from the north and sweep down to attack and invade the nation of Israel.
The chapter goes on to say what's interesting is the people that are mentioned in this chapter. First of all, in verse 10, thus says the Lord God on that day, it shall come to pass. Thoughts will arise in your mind and you will make an evil plan. You will say I will go up against a land of unwalled villages. Israel always had villages around it cities around its towns, but today they don't. Today there unwalled villages and towns visiting modern culture in modern society, very, very wealthy one that I would add, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, having neither bars nor gates to take plunder to take booty, to stretch out your hand against the waste places that are again inhabited, and against the people gathered from the nations who have acquired livestock and goods who dwell in the midst of the land. She pretty Dan versions of parsers all their young lions on and on and on. The coalition mentioned here are between a few different interesting names. The names of in antiquity are given in this chapter. Let me give you their modern counterparts. First of all there's Russia that is Magog me shack Ross all of that are our areas to the north of Israel in the far north the area.
Russia Persia is mentioned as the ancient name for Iran. Also in verse six Gomer is mentioned.
That's the ancient name for Turkey. So here the text says that at some point in the future. These countries that include today Russia and Iran and Turkey and others are going to have make a coalition together and that is never happened before.
Now it has happened this series, expound you Skip to tell you, you can keep encouraging messages like this coming your way as you help connect others to God's word. The apostle Paul said that all Scripture is God breathed, meaning God inspired and wants us to understand it, even in today's day and age, that's why I teach line upon line through every book of the Bible and that's why this radio program exists to share biblical teachings with friends like you across the country and around the world. You can help further that mission by sharing your gift today. Here's how to do that: 800-922-1888 to give today 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskip.com/donate. That's connectwithskip.com/donate your generosity helps keep this biblical encouragement coming your way and helps change many lives around the globe before we go to Juneau you can watch gifts messages from the comfort of your home device, or Apple TV. Just search for the Skip Heitzig to watch thousands of powerful Bible teachings and live services like more information on the broadcast connectwithskip.com join us next Monday. Skip Heitzig actually is. God empowers